Woodheads WFO 42"

[egalecki]

Re: Woodheads WFO 42"

Don't worry, Amber. It took me forever to get mine done. I just went at it when I had the time- once it got past the 5th or 6th row, it went faster. Still took me all summer. It doesn't cook any better because it went slowly and they don't cook faster if they go quick!

Heck, Les's was unfinished all winter under a blanket of snow...

[Les]

Re: Woodheads WFO 42"

Heck, Les's was unfinished all winter under a blanket of snow...

And now that it's done - it's going to get snowed on again

Les...

[woodhead]

Re: Woodheads WFO 42"

Crowtrapper,

Thanks for the encouragement. Looks like i have to finish my oven quickly now. Just found out i am getting transferred with my job to Atlanta. You think when you get the transfer call that you are going to disrupt your family, your kids, etc..You know what i thought of.....My almost done pizza oven!!!!! No worries, i will practice on this one and build another in Atlanta...

[nissanneill]

Re: Woodheads WFO 42"

Crowtrapper

Mine is stopped at the moment (bad weather)

So who cares about the weather, if it's raining (as it was continuously when I built mine), then set up a shelter or just string a tarp up as I did. It was really quite comfortable working under it. I was generating a faif bit of steam and continually fogging up my glasses, but you keep going especially if you want to finish it.

I'm too old to mix mortar and cut bricks for hour after hour,

Hey, after I built the front arch, vent chamber and dome arch, I mixed one batch for day one (yep, it went a lot further that I thought it would ) and kept laying bricks until I used it all up. Day 2, made another mix to finish the job.
I did have a commercial electric brick saw and I pre-cut all my bricks and only had to trim the odd one to fit around the dome arch and trim a few to maintain a good bond.
In all honesty, I believe that I could build and put in the hearth (after doing the void and arches) in a single, albeit a long day.

Amber

It gets too dark too early to work during the week now.

Getting dark early, heard of a light! Grab yourself a fluorescent light, (a double is better) and go for it. Around a third of mine was done under a light.


Neill

[Frances]

Re: Woodheads WFO 42"

I say take it slow and enjoy the build, especially if its the only oven you're likely to build. Its such a cool experience and its over all to soon... although the cooking is fun, too.

Its certainly not a race, and building speed has nothing to do with oven quality... but hey, if building your oven fast makes you happy, there's nothing wrong with that either. it just wouldn't be the right way for me.

[christo]

Re: Woodheads WFO 42"

well - maybe not as slow as me.... it's been over 18 mos and I'm still not finished - but the project did grow a little.

I've enjoyed 80% of it or more. 20% of it was digging in stone hard earth and hauling stone!!!

We are loving the pizzas and bread!

Christo

[Les]

Re: Woodheads WFO 42"

Bad post - or a bad link

[amber]

Re: Woodheads WFO 42"

Chris - your and Kelley's looks awesome! I don't care how long it's taking. Like I said, we got our dome set in a month, but since the chimney got done this weekend (!!!), we'll have to break until spring or a warm spell to weatherproof it so that the Type S mortar doesn't freeze. You know where we're coming from since you live in the 'south' too!

[crowtrapper]

Re: Woodheads WFO 42"

All this talk about speed - I'm feeling a bit feeble that I've slowed down because of a bit of rain - but actually other things have to happen around here as well. Today we had a lunch party for a dozen friends and they are all keen to see the Oven in full working order. And Christmas is coming and everyone wants a pizza cookup. That may not happen but it will be close.
Here in Australia our equivalent of 4th July is Australia Day on 25th January, and the Oven will definitely be finished by then! It will be more like Italy Day I guess.
One thing that has slowed me down a fair bit is the vent/oven opening - where it meets the dome - what a confusing mess of curves and joins. I just cannot get my head around it somehow. Rather than an arched opening it will be a simple flat top on the vent, made from a slab of AAC cut to shape. That will be simpler but not as nice looking as an arch, however it will at least get built rather than procrastinated over!
Woodhead, what a blow to have to move halfway through building but at least you have got a transfer to a job and not a transfer to the dole queue...good luck with it.

[amber]

Re: Woodheads WFO 42"

Crowtrapper - I've been at that same place, almost done but not quite for a bit now. We're doing the curing fires now, so i THINK we can do Christmas pizza, but I'm friends with a bunch of Aussies from my exchange student days and I know how you all are about Australia day. That just might be even better for the unvailing of the oven! Good luck and keep us posted.

[amber]

Re: Woodheads WFO 42"

Oh about the opening - both Frances and I (among others) did a lintel opening and a decorative arch, which is easier, I think. Check out the pictures for a couple of methods and see if those work for you.

[crowtrapper]

Re: Woodheads WFO 42"

Got the next 2 course of the dome done today and it is starting to really draw in near the top - probably 4 courses to go. The tighter circle near the top of the dome makes imperfections in my bricks look terrible (I'm not cutting bricks just using a lot of mortar) - but that will not be visible when it's all done.
Amber, are you starting curing fires before the insulation layer goes on? or waiting till the whole thing is complete?

[amber]

Re: Woodheads WFO 42"

Crowtrapper - I'm doing the curing now and then I'll add the insulation. I'm doing this for 2 reasons. The first is that the curing drives moisture out and the insulation is water soluable (sp?) and the 2nd is that we need to put the Insulfrax on and weatherproof it with Type S mortar in the same day and it needs to be above 34 degrees F (0 degrees C) for at least 24-48 hours to keep the mortar from freezing and therefore failing.

Hope this helps and good luck!

Amber

[wilson]

Re: Woodheads WFO 42"

...so now you are going to be "Georgia Boy" like me... That's ok, I can still travel to Atlanta to enjoy my bread!!

Hope you have fun learning to file "STATE INCOME TAXES" now !!

[woodhead]

Re: Woodheads WFO 42"

I took the day off on friday and got alot of work completed. Working on the entry today. Will post pics of completed first arch this evening!!